President’s Challenge 2 (2016 – 2017)

The President’s Challenge consists of 12 different needlework challenges (one each month) mainly focused on working our way through our various unfinished objects (UFOs), works in progress (WIPs), projects waiting to be started and/or our materials stashes. At the end of the challenge is a chance to win a check for the amount of money put in by the participants (i.e. 10 participants = $100). Our challenge will run from June 2016 to May 2017. The winner’s name will be drawn July 2017.

How does it work?If you choose to participate in the President’s Challenge 2, you need to send $10 to Treasurer, Susan Clayton, (check made out to: RMWS, EGA), to be put in the kitty. Each time you complete a monthly challenge, your name is entered into the pool. The more months you participate, the greater your chance of winning. Example: If you completed 8 of the 12 challenges, your name goes in the drawing 8 times. NOTE: Each monthly challenge must be completed within the designated month. Your submission can happen a day or two following the end of the month. Life happens! We call get busy!!!

In order to successfully complete each month’s challenge, members must provide the specifics and/or photo(s) identified for that challenge to President, Connie Fudge. All photos will be posted in the President’s Challenge Photo Album. Please check your roster for the contact information for Susan Clayton and Connie Fudge.

You are welcome to join the Challenge at any point. Just send your $10 into Susan and jump in!

June 2016
15 Minute Challenge!
Mary Corbet (www.needlenthread.com) wrote an article (15 Minutes with Needle and Thread – February 28, 2009) which has stuck with me all these years. She, at the time, worked full-time and was still making progress on stitching projects. Her secret? Work for at least 15 minutes each day on your needlework project. Any progress is progress forward and it can be a reward to yourself when other work is finished!

So, the challenge is to find a large project – one you have already started or a new one (Hint-hint….Menagerie of Mystery could be great for this). Organize all the materials and supplies. Keep this project easily at hand or set up on a stitching stand. Work on it 15 minutes, every day, for the entire year of our President’s Challenge! Record your 15 minutes in a little journal. Take a picture at the start of the month and the end of the month and send them in. We’ll post them in our photo gallery and be inspired! Your name will be put into the drawing for each month of progress you make.

July 2016Turn Up The Heat!That sweet needlework piece that you adore needs to come off the back burner and get done! Keep out of the summer heat and finish it because you love it and want to spend time with it!! Finish it for YOU!! Send us a photo. Finish = stitching only.

August 2016Back to School!
Find that project that you never finished from seminar, a GCC, a chapter workshop, any kind of “class” where you had someone teaching you the piece. Dust it off and get ‘er done! Send us before and after photos and the name of the class/teacher, where you took the class and tell us how long you’ve had that little pretty on the shelf.Finish = stitching only.

September 2016Make a Molehill Out of a Mountain!
Do you have a piece that you need to do some “un-stitching” on? Grab that thing, rip out those stitches! You don’t have to do another thing on this project for this month’s challenge. But, once you’ve done that nasty business, you might be excited to move forward on it. You go girl! Send us before and after pictures.

October 2016Back In Time!
Jump on the RMWS website, click on Education, go to Chapter Projects, then Chapter Meeting Projects. Select one of those fun patterns put there, raid your stash and GO! Make an ornament, a pinkeep, a needlebook, a card….any number of things from the great little patterns that you can link to. Send us a picture and the name of the project. Finish = completely.

November 2016So Thankful!
Start (or finish) that darling piece that you just know your sweet friend or wonderful mom or crazy sister-in-law would love to have as a Christmas gift or any kind of gift! This challenge is to stitch something to give as a gift to someone special who you are grateful to have in your life! If you can, send us a picture of the recipient with the piece. If it’s a Christmas present, we’ll wait for it. Finish = completely.

December 2016Christmas List!
This is a non-stitching project and I suggest you get it done early in the month. Pick out a pattern (new or in your stash) that you really want to stitch. Put together a list of all the supplies that you need to stitch that project – ground fabric, threads, beads, everything! Hand that list over (after you take a picture of it) to your special gift-giver and say “Here’s what I’d love to have for Christmas, thanks for asking!” Show us the list and send us a picture of those wonderful goodies coming out of their gift box!

January 2017Enough is Enough!
Come on. You know you have those “What was I thinking?!” projects hidden in your drawers. Bring ‘em out of hiding and release the guilt! Donate them (Check with Paraclete – see the information on our website under Outreach) or retrieve the threads and usable fabric to add back to your stash or turn what’s done into something smaller (you never can have enough pincushions or needlecases). Send us a picture of all of it and then get rid of it!!

February 2017I Love NeedleArts
Pick a project from the EGA NeedleArts magazine (past or present issues) and stitch it, using as many supplies from your stash as possible. Send us a picture of the finished piece. Finish = stitching only.

March 2017Spring Cleaning!
Our stuff can overwhelm us! Pick a part of your stash to organize: Your floss – it’s a jumbled mess, get it neatened up and put into numerical order. Your ground fabrics – Take those million little pieces and throw them away, press the big pieces and label them with their thread count, etc. Inventory your patterns – Keep the ones you want and donate the ones you’ll never do. You get the idea. Tell us what organization was accomplished and send us before and after pictures!

April 2017Back From Exile!
Bring out a project you’ve put away due to frustration or boredom or mistakes and give it another go. Commit to spending 10 hours on it to see if you can’t re-ignite your passion for it. Hint-hint…did you put aside your Menagerie of Mystery piece…..just sayin’! Send us before and after pictures.

May 2017It’s NEVER Too Early!
Make 2 different ornaments this month. Use patterns off the internet (Rainbow Gallery has a ton of possibilities), EGA Petite Projects, patterns/kits you already have, etc. Use materials from your stash. These ornaments have to be completely finished to qualify! Just think, you’ll already have your ornament ready for your Christmas exchange and one to use as a gift…and it’s only May! Take a picture of a happy you with your little accomplishments! Finish = completely.